Your interview questions should reflect your job goals

When it comes time for you to ask questions during the interview, what kind of questions do you ask?

There is a range of interview questions you can ask about the position, of course. Everything from the day-to-day activities of the work, to the team, to the company, to, well, just about anything.

On the other hand, if you don’t have a plan for the questions you want to ask, when it comes time to make the critical “do I take this job?” decision, you have a serious disadvantage.

While the economy is tough right now and you can very well be in a position where any job will do, you should at least go into the position knowing how well the position will fit you.

How do you do that?

You establish goals for a position you want. You establish criteria for what is a great job for you. Then, in the interview process, you ask the questions that relate to your work goals and criteria to see how the position measures up.

You may have to take the job even if you won’t meet your job criteria because you need the money, but at least you will have a comparison. You will know what areas will cause you concern and can work on ways to mitigate what is tough about the position.

Do you work best in a collaborative, team focused environment? Or do you work better on your own and meet one-on-one with people about your work? Do you like working with a hands-off manager or do you want guidance from your manager while you complete tasks? Do you want lots of communication from management about how the company is doing or is an e-mail once a month just fine? Do you like collaborative confrontation in meetings or would you like managers to give direction to the team and just follow those directions?

Deciding the environment and culture in a company that gives you the best shot at doing your best work is necessary so you can ask the right interview questions of the hiring manager. And if the position isn’t your ideal environment, at least you will know that going into the new position rather than get surprised starting your first Monday morning.

About the Author

Scot Herrick is the author of “I’ve Landed My Dream Job–Now What???” and owner of Cube Rules, LLC. Scot has a long history of management and individual contribution in multiple Fortune 100 corporations.

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